Luxury train trip from Pretoria with excursions and/or golf

Day 1: Pretoria and Soweto -

You are expected at 8 am at the train station in Pretoria. You start this journey at 9 a.m. with a tour through Pretoria and Soweto, two important places in the smallest province of South Africa. The province of Gauteng is the economic heart of South Africa and the province where the major cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria are located.

Today’s tour starts in Soweto, the largest township in South Africa with more than one million inhabitants. You pass the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere: Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and drive through the only street in Africa where two Nobel Prize winners once lived: Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former president Nelson Mandela. You will also visit the Hector Pieterson Memorial in memory of this student who died in 1976 in the fight against the legislation of the Apartheid regime.

Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. Here you will visit the Voortrekker Monument and museum. You also take a look at the Union Buildings from where the president and government work. This impressive building with a beautiful terrace garden was completed in 1913 and is a design by the British architect Sir Herbert Baker. In the garden in front of the Union buildings is a large statue of Nelson Mandela. (Day distance +/- 265 km)

At 4 p.m. you board your luxury driving hotel and leave for Nelspruit.

Day 2: Panoramaroute or golf -

Golfers can choose from the Leopard’s Creek, Nelspuit or White River golf course to play on today. Tee off is at 9 a.m.

Non-golfers leave today at 9:00 am for a tour of interesting historical sites and the beautiful nature of the province of Mpumalanga. In 1873, gold was discovered near the village of Pilgim’s Rest, now it is a living open-air museum and a National Monument. The discovery attracted around 1500 gold diggers and today the old miners’ houses have been refurbished and turned into shops. On the Panorama Route you will visit the special Bourke’s Luck Potholes, strange deep cavities formed by erosion and flooding. You drive on to God’s Window where you can look out over the vast lowlands and Kruger Park in clear weather (day distance ± 280 km).

At 5 p.m. everyone is back on the train and it leaves for Malelane.

Day 3: Kruger National Park or golf -

The world-famous Kruger Park offers a home to countless trees, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, including the Big Five (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard). Not surprising of course if the area of this park has about 2 million hectares!

The game drive takes place in air-conditioned Shongololo vans. You leave early in the morning, 6.30 am, because wild spotting often has the best results in the morning hours (day distance ± 220 km). There are camps in the park where you will occasionally stop for a toilet break or something to eat. Around 6 p.m. you will return to Malelane by train, you will leave for Swaziland and spend the night in Mpaka.

Not in the mood for a game drive? You can also choose to play golf today at the Leopard’s Creek, Nelspruit or White River golf course. You leave at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m.

Day 4: Eswatini -

Today you will travel by bus through the smallest Kingdom (17,000 km²) in southern Africa: Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). From Mpaka you will drive through the Ezulwini Valley and head to the Ludzidzini Royal Residence to visit the colorful candle market. In Manzini you will become acquainted with the daily life on the Swatimarkt which is known for its woven baskets, colored textiles and wood carvings. After a visit to the capital Mbabane, lunch can be used at Matenga Lodge for your own account. Finally a quick look inside the Ngwenya glass factory where you may find a nice souvenir (day distance ± 280 km). After the border formalities at the Mpaka border post (around 6:45 PM), climb back on board the train and drive to Hluhluwe in South Africa.

For golfers, the day looks like this: at 9 a.m. you will leave for Nkonyeni Golf Estate where you will be ready for the tee off an hour later. At 6.45 pm you drive to Hluhluwe in South Africa after the border formalities in Mpaka.

Day 5: Zululand - Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park -

Today you will start looking for the Big 5 in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park early in the morning. This park is the oldest nature reserve in Africa and has an area of no less than 96,000 hectares. The landscape consists mainly of hills and the entire Big Five can be found here. The park has become known in particular for its efforts to protect the endangered white rhino. You leave today at 6.30 a.m. and return around 6 p.m. (day distance ± 250 km).

You get on the train and leave for Empangeni.

Day 6: St. Lucia Wetlant Park tour or golf -

In the morning you travel to the wetlands of St. Lucia where the tour starts at 9 AM. Here bush and beach go hand in hand. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park has a wide variety of trees, plants, animals and birds. You can see hippos and crocodiles here, among other things. Today you will take a tour through this beautiful nature reserve that stretches from St. Lucia to Mozambique along the coast of Kwazulu Natal.

Golfers can optionally play on the Zimbali golf course (128 km from St. Lucia). After the day’s activities you will be brought back to the train (3.30 pm), the journey continues to Durban.

Day 7: Durban city tour or golf -

Today you will visit Durban, the fourth largest city in South Africa. The city is especially important for industry because of the large port. Durban has a subtropical climate, so many South Africans visit this place with its vast beaches, especially in the winter.

Golfers can play today at the Durban Country Club, an early tee off at 7.30 am. Non-golfers pay a cultural visit to PheZulu Safari Village and the famous uShaka Marine World.

Everyone returns to the station at 4 p.m. The train goes to Ladysmith tonight.

Day 8: Battlefields tour or golf -

Who wants to play golf today has to get up early. Already at 7 a.m. you will leave for the Champagne Sports Resort about an hour’s drive from Ladysmith. Return to the train at 12.30 pm and lunch on board.

History lovers have an interesting day ahead with a visit to the battlefields of the Anglo Boere war. A war that started in the spring of 1899 and lasted three years. See with your own eyes where British fought the Afrikaners and visit Spioenkop and Wagon Hill. Get a bit wiser at the Siege museum in Ladysmith, where it becomes clear that many British and Afrikaners lost their lives here. Visitors also gain insight into the early lives of Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and General Louis Botha, three leaders who left their mark on this. You leave in the morning at 9 a.m. and the day distance is approximately 180 km. At 12.30 pm you will return to the train for lunch.

In the afternoon the train leaves for Bloemfontein.

Day 9: Bloemfontein -

This afternoon you will take a city tour through Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province (departure at noon). An impressive stop during this excursion is a visit to the Women’s Memorial at the Anglo Boer War museum, a memory of the 27,000 women and children who died in the concentration camps during the war between the British and the Peasants. At the end of the city tour you will visit the historic Olivenhuis where nowadays a collection of artworks from African artists can be found (if time permits).

At 6 pm you will arrive at the station again and the train journey will then continue to Kimberley.

Day 10: Kimberley tour or golf -

Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape, and is known for the huge hole in the earth; the Big Hole, the result of mining diamonds. The discovery of diamonds led to the creation of the city in 1893.

After breakfast you board the bus for a trip through the city of Kimberley. A visit to the Big Hole Diamond Museum is of course essential. After a lunch stop at a restaurant (for your own account), visit the William Humphreys Art Gallery and the Mc Gregor House. Day distance is approximately 160 km.

Golfers can play at Kimberley Golf Club today, tee off time is 9 AM. All passengers return to the train at 5 p.m. and it departs in the direction of Graaff Reinet, it is stopped for the night in Noupoort.

Day 11: Graaff Reinet -

A quiet start to the day today, the train continues to Graaff Reinet. At 1 p.m. you can have lunch on board the train, after which you can take a walk through Graaff Reinet with a guide at 2 p.m. Along the way you will learn more about this fourth-oldest town in South Africa. This place was founded in 1786 and has more than 200 historic buildings. You will also find a variety of museums and galleries here.

You will depart by train to Oudtshoorn at 5 p.m.

Day 12 Oudtshoorn tour or golf -

Golfers drive today at 9 am through the beautiful Outeniqua mountain range to Fancourt Golf Course in George. You don’t have to hurry, you will also have dinner at Fancourt tonight.

After breakfast, non-golfers drive to Oudtshoorn to visit the wonderful Cango Caves. Be surprised by the beauty of the rooms of this cave. In the afternoon you can visit an ostrich farm, after all you are in the ‘ostrich capital of the world’! Via the beautiful Outeniqua mountain pass you drive to George where the train has arrived.

Tonight’s dinner is at George, the heart of the Garden Route. George has a beautiful location between the ocean in the south and the Outeniqua mountains in the north. You will dine at the restaurant of Fancourt Golf Estate at 6.30 p.m.

Day 13: Knysna - Featherbed Nature Reserve of golf -

Golfers leave today at 7 a.m. to the Ernie Els Oubaai Golf Club to play a round of golf and return to the train in the afternoon.

At 8 am the other passengers are once again driving a beautiful route through the South African landscape. Knysna is best known for the Knysna Lagoon and the Knysna Heads; two sandstone rocks that form the border between the lagoon and the Indian Ocean. Certainly worth a photo when you visit this coastal town! Today you can take a boat trip on the Knysna Lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve. Guests who prefer shopping can do this in Knysna. Day distance 180 km.

At 1 p.m. you return to the train for lunch and you leave for Ashton. The golfers board the train again in Voorbaai. The train stops in Buffeljag River for the night.

Day 14: Hermanus or golf -

After breakfast you will leave from Robertson to Hermanus at 09.00, distance 160 km. Golfers can optionally play on the Arabella golf course in Kleinmond (distance 140 km).

You travel over the breathtaking mountain passes Rooihoogte and Floorshoogte and through the Overberg villages of Villiersdorp and Botrivier to the final destination of Hermanus. A fishing village that is best known for the many whales that can be seen between July and November. Whale watching in Hermanus is an unforgettable experience.

At 5 p.m. you will return to the train in Worcester where you will spend the night and have a last dinner on board the Shongololo Express.

Day 15: Cape Town -

you will arrive at Cape Town station at 10.00 am where your luggage will be safely stored. At 11.00 you will be taken on a city tour along a number of sights in the city

The city tour starts with a visit to the historical and cultural places in the city center such as a walk through the Company Gardens and a visit to the Bo-Kaap museum. On the way to the V&A Waterfront a stop is made at Diamont Works. Here you will get a tour of the diamond mill, the gem laboratory and the diamond design and processing workshop. In the cozy V&A Waterfront there is time to enjoy lunch in one of the many restaurants or on a terrace (for your own account). After lunch, continue to District Six, an area with an inspiring history. You end the day at Castle of Good Hope that was built in 1652 as a supply place for the Dutch East India Company by Jan van Riebeeck.

Trip number	7173
Price per person	From€ 5237/ per person
Travel duration	15days
Countries	Eswatini (Swaziland), South Africa
Cities	Knysna, Cape Town, Kimberley, Pretoria, Hermanus, Graaff Reinet, George, Durban, Bloemfontein
Starting point	Pretoria
endpoint	Cape Town
Included	Accommodation: Gold Cabin (upgrade to an Emerald Cabin possible) Catering based on bed, breakfast and dinner. Lunches on board the train where mentioned in the itinerary Coffee, tea and water on board the train Mentioned activities (excl. Golf fees), transfers and entrance fees
Not included	Flights and possibly visa Travel and cancellation insurance Optional activities Personal expenses and tips Green fees golf courses Lunches outside the train Drinks Supplement possibly upgrade cabin
Type of transport	train
Meals included	dinner bed and breakfast
Type of accommodation	train cabin
Luxury level	Comfort
Child friendly	Children under 10 years old are not allowed. Children from 10 years pay the adult price
Special details	* Shongololo Express uses the rail network of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland and Mozambique. It may therefore occur that a delay occurs or that a different route must be chosen. The activities depend on the circumstances and can be shortened, adjusted or canceled.

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